On Thursday 3rd August a group of supporters met Kelly Derham, Joe Comper and Alex Stedman to discuss off the field matters.
One of the first things that came up in the informal chat in the Mayo Wynne Baxter Suite was the issue of access from Redz Bar to the south end of the stadium and the home terrace.
The club then asked if the security team had any objections to fans using the fire door in Redz to let the supporters into the East Stand and Terrace – as a result of positive feedback this was put in place for the Port Vale game on the 5th August and is planned to continue throughout the season.
Fans also asked about the possibility of having barriers in place at the bar, to stop fans congregating there and allow for easier access to be served – this was also something that the club implemented.
The reasoning behind cash turnstiles being discontinued was also explained by Kelly Derham. Only seven per cent of tickets on a match day were being sold on the gate. Most people bought tickets in advance or at the ticket office on the day.
The club are however putting two cash outlets for tickets in Redz Bar - to allow fans to purchase tickets there instead of the main Ticket Office.
Supporters also raised the issue of there not being any kids kits for 5-7 year-olds – this is something that the club are currently working on with our suppliers and we will provide an update as soon as it’s available.
The possibility of positioning a photographer on the East Stand side of the ground as opposed to the West Stand side was also raised, as was the issue of the vending machines being left in the corner of the ground by Devils Den and being unused.
Kelly explained that one of these would be moved to Redz Bar during the season, and the other would be positioned down by the players and directors entrance inside the stadium.
Kelly, Joe and Alex would like to thank the fans involved for their time and look forward to reacquainting and also meeting new faces in the next meeting – with a date scheduled for Thursday 19th October at 7pm.
